GOV.UK Construction Industry Scheme (CIS) Explained
By the Construction Industry Scheme (CIS), contractors deduct 20% from registered and 30% from unregistered subcontractors as advance tax payments.
Key Takeaways
- UK company law is constantly changing to safeguard and enhance the integrity of the business environment.
- A registered office address is the official address of a limited company or an LLP and is available in the public companies register.
- The government and all its agencies will use the address to send official correspondence.
A registered business address is legally required if you own or plan to register a UK-limited company or have an existing venture.
The address acts as the company’s official correspondence address. It is where statutory letters from government agencies such as the Court, Department of Work and Pensions (DWP), Companies House, and HMRC will be sent in your company name.
According to the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, the address must fulfil the following legal requirements —
1. Must be in the same UK country/jurisdiction where the company is registered
According to UK company law, a registered office address must be in the same jurisdiction, whether in England and Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland, where the company is registered.
The registered office address is not just a logistical detail but a legal anchor indicating the legal framework in which a company operates.
2. From March 2024, a service address must be a physical location, not a P.O. Box.
Initially, Companies House allowed P.O. Boxes to be used as official company addresses. However, with the 2023 enactment of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act, the registered office of a UK limited company must be a physical address.
Warning
The change in law means that UK companies cannot use P.O. Box as an appropriate registered office, and starting March 2024, Companies House will take action against businesses that fail to comply. Furthermore, the address will be publicly available, and all eligible companies are legally required to display the registered office address on business correspondence such as letters and the business website.
The new law also requires Limited Partnerships (LPs) to provide a registered office address within the UK.
3. You can change it anytime so long as the new address is within the same jurisdiction as the business.
You can change the address to another in the same UK country anytime within the life of your company. Afterwards, file form AD01 or online through your WebFiling account to update your company address at Companies House. If your new registered office address complies with the new rules, the change will be approved, and the public register will be updated in 24 hours.
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4. The registered office address will be publicly available through Companies House.
Your registered office in the UK will be available to anyone who searches for your company using the Companies House Search Service. Therefore, using your residential address (though permissible) is often not recommended if you are concerned about privacy and security.
Beyond privacy, ensure that the preferred registered address also aligns with the brand and company image you want to portray. Online and offline brand consistency can strengthen your brand reputation.
5. You can use a residential property as your company registered address.
If privacy and security are not of concern, you can use your home address. However, if the property where you live does not belong to you, you may be required to get the landlord’s permission to receive statutory letters.
Other addresses you can use include —
- Virtual office address;
- Your solicitor address;
- A company formation agent address;
- A secretarial service provider address;
- The commercial property where your business is situated, or
- Any residential or non-residential address you are permitted to use.
6. Someone Must be Available to Sign the Documents Received At the Address
For accountability and to comply with the legal requirements, someone is always available at our prestigious address to sign for and confirm the receipt of your statutory mail. Please note that companies that fail to adhere to this requirement could be struck off the register.
Remember, you can use your company’s authentication code on WebFiling to change your registered office address to comply with the new requirements.
See also: Registered Office Address Explained
A Note About the New Registered Email Address Requirement
In addition to the registered office, the law now requires companies to provide a registered email address by March 4, 2024. New limited companies will provide this information during incorporation, while existing companies must update their contact details to include a registered email address with their next confirmation statement.
Companies House intends to use this address to send information relevant to the company and entities to use the same address for more than one business.
See also: Changes to Companies House: Fee Increase Effective 1 May 2024 & More
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FAQ
1. What registered addresses are required during company formations?
In addition to the registered company address, you are required to provide the following addresses during formation.
- SAIL address, known in full as the Single Alternative Inspection Location, is an optional address where a company keeps statutory registers.
- The director service address, which must be provided for each director, is used for receiving correspondence relating to the role of the company director.
- A trading or business address service is needed to receive business mail from non-governmental agencies such as suppliers, clients, and banks.
- Each company officer should provide the residential address, which will be unavailable to the public.
2. Why use a registered office service provider?
If you want to present a professional image, you can use an address service provider. Some investors, clients, and partners may hesitate to deal with a business that operates from home. Therefore, you can enhance the professional appeal of your venture by working with an address service provider.
Furthermore, for businesses with distributed teams, you can maintain a consistent office address that allows you to receive all communication from the government. Since you do not have to operate from your registered office, using a provider gives you the liberty to organise your business to maximise efficiency and meet the demands of your industry.
3. I use a P.O. Box; how do I transition to a registered office address service?
You do not have to move into a physical office to get a registered address. Use form AD01 to communicate to companies about changing your official address.
4. Can I register my company to a virtual business address in London?
Yes. You can register your business to a virtual office and offer their address as your registered business address. Doing this allows you to maintain compliance with legal standards while enjoying the benefits of a professional address service, including secretarial assistance and mail forwarding, depending on the suite of services available to you.
Can a virtual office be used as an appropriate registered address or director service address?
It depends on your service provider. While we don’t allow using our virtual London office service as a professional registered office or director address, you can leverage it as your dynamic trading address. Benefit from our digital business address service, offering global mail forwarding service and access to well-branded meeting rooms.
Due to our mail-handling policies for this service, statutory letters cannot be received at this address.
Are there any regulations about using a private house as registered office
You can use your private house as a registered office without any regulatory issues. However, keep in mind that the registered office address is publicly available on the Companies House register. If privacy is a priority for you, consider our professional registered office service. This ensures your personal address stays private while giving your business a prestigious London address.
Can you still use a PO Box address if you also provide the full address of the physical building, including post code.
Hi Clive.
Unfortunately, this is no longer legally permissible. You are now required to provide a physical address, which can be either a residential or commercial building.
For now, can I still use the SAIL address to store the company registers offline instead of enabling the Companies House to publicise all the private information on their website?
Hi Doraemon,
Yes, you can use a SAIL address to store your company registers offline, which helps maintain privacy by preventing sensitive information from being publicly accessible on the Companies House website.
All the best!
Can I use a virtual address to register a limited company (e.g. Dentistry business) at Company house in the UK?
Yes, you can. A virtual address can be used to register a limited company at Companies House, provided the service package includes more than just mail handling. Alternatively, you can opt for a registered office address service specifically for company formation purposes.
Our registered office address service meets all legal requirements, and your business does not need to operate from this address. It ensures compliance while providing a professional presence for your company without the need for a physical office space.
See also: Do I need a registered office address service for my company?